Patrick Mercer MP caught offering to set up Fiji All-party Parliamentary group for cash in undercover filming

A senior Conservative MP has dramatically resigned from the party after being
confronted by The Telegraph over the following footage, which shows
him offering his services to lobbyists in exchange for cash.

10:12PM BST 31 May 2013

An undercover investigation conducted by The Telegraph and the BBC’s Panorama programme found that Patrick Mercer MP, a former shadow minister, tabled five questions to Government ministers and put down a parliamentary motion after being paid £4,000 as part of a contract he believed would earn him £24,000 a year.

This secret recording shows Mr Mercer agreeing with an undercover reporter, posing as a parliamentary campaigner, to table an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for the return of Fiji to the Commonwealth.

In the video the journalist passes him a document showing the proposed wording for the motion. It read: “This House recognises that the government of Fiji is making all reasonable efforts to restore democracy and feels that in the light of the ongoing hardship being endured by its businesses there is no justification for Fiji’s continued suspension from the Commonwealth and therefore urges this Government to arrange a ministerial visit in order to help prepare for and assist its readmission”.

“Can we get that in before the recess [the parliamentary Easter break]?” the reporter asks.

“Yes, course we can,” replied Mr Mercer. “I’ll get that sorted out and we’ll start getting that signed up.”

The EDM appeared on the parliamentary website the following week with almost the same wording as the motion drafted by the reporter. It has since been signed by four MPs. There is no suggestion the MPs who signed the motion have done anything wrong.

Patrick Mercer MP said he agreed to be a consultant for work he said was outside parliament.